I2C
2
3
4
5
6
REPORTED
SPEECH
into town? My car has
broken down.'
'Hop
in,' said the driver.
'What
about stopping for a
coffee?' said the man after a
few moments.
'I
very much hope,' said
'that
Sheila,
you'll drive
straight on so I can keep an
important appointment.'
But the man stopped the car.
'If
I wereyou,'he said,'I'd
hand over that bag ofyours
without a struggle.'
However, it was the man who
\ r'assoon struggling.'For
God's sake let me go!' he
cried.'Y ou' re breaking my
atm!l
7
'Now,'
snapped Sheila,'you'll
drive me first to a garage and
afterwards to my weekly
appointment at the judo
school.'
'Whqteuer
8
you do,' she said,
'don't
try any more monkey
business.'
REPORTED
her car had broken down.
-)
The driver told her to hop in.
-------+After a few moments, the
man suggest ed stopping f that
they should stop for a coffee.
------+ Sheilaurged the man to drive i
straight on so she could keep
an important appointment.
----------+
Having nevertheless stopped
the car, the man aduised
Sheila to hand over her bag
without a struggle.
---------+
However, it was the man who',
'
was soon struggling and
begginglimploringfentreating,
Sheila to let him go, as she rr)
was breaking his arm.
----------+
Sheila thenordered him to
I
drive her first to a garage and".:.
afterwards to her weekly
appointment at the judo
school.
---------+
She tparnedhim not to
tryf against trying any more
monkey business.
Explanation
a A more forcible alternative to ask (L) is request, but it is too formal
included among the above Examples:
'
Please be sure to be punctual at all my lectures ,' she told her
----------r
She requested her students to be punctual . . . .
A more forcible alternative to tell (2) is order (7), or sometimes
Although order is more common in military and similar contexts, it
suitable in other contexts, such as this one. Instead of order . . . not
generally use forbid (l7A):
,No
The headmaster
talking!, ordered the headmasteÍ ----------+
them to talk.
We have already met suggest (3) and its use with or without should
llFa and, when we are less positive and talking only about possi
its use with might in l2Ap. When our suggestions are based upon a
li
possibility of choice we may wse recommend (l7Db):
SPEECH
I2C
'Why
not try the Greek restaurant further up the street?'
She recommended (us to try f tryinglthat we should try) the Greek
restaurant. . . .
Note that recommend, unlike suggest but like all the other verbs in this
section, may be used with an object+infinitive (l7C).
For more serious matters, which may involve telling people not to do
things, we normally use aduise (5) instead of suggest or recommend (but see
17Db).
When we ask urgently, in order to try and persuade someone to do or not
to do something, we use urge (a). If this is not strong enough, and we wish
to convey anguish, pain or tears, we use beg, implore or entreot (6). Plead
with (followed by object+infinitive) is also possible, but more in the
context of a highly emotional situation of some duration.
When someone tells or aduises us not to do something wrong, imprudent or
dangerous, the appropriate introductory verb is utarn (8). This verb is also
used with that to give us notice of possible danger or inconvenience:
'Take
He warned (us) that
care,' he said,'the roads will be icy.' --+
the roads would be icy.
'The
trouble ls,'she said,'ttre supermarket closes in half an hour.'
----------+
She warned (us) that the supermarket closed in half an hour.
Exercise
I
Report the following direct speech using the introductory verbs shown in the
Examples or mentioned in the Explanation.
'Let's
send away for this electric kettle advertised in the paper as a special
offer,' said my wife.
'Will
It was about three weeks later that I said:
you plug it in while I get
the cups?'
3 'You mustn't,' I said, 'fill it with the switch on, whatever you do.'
4 'Stand back,'I cried, 'while I discounect it!'
) 'Don't ever touch that kettle again,'I said. 'It's live.'
6 'Don't you think,' said my wife, 'we should get a lawn-mower the next
time there's a special offer?'
'If
'I'd
get
I were you,'said the girl from next door, who'd just come in,
the whole house rewired.'
8 'I do hope you'll follow such an excellent piece of advice,' said my wife.
9 'Mind your own business!'I snapped, still tense after the affair of the
kettle.
l0 'Don't ever speak to me like that again,' she said, 'if you want any more
meals cooked.'
't'rn
'Please,
please forgive me.'
ll 'Howsorry, dearest,'I said.
12
about eating out this evening?' I then said, by way of a peace
offering.
t2(
13
t4
l5
l6
T7
l8
l9
20
REPORTED
REPORTED
SPEECH
'Why
'Oh,
yes!' said our neighbour.
not go to the new Chinese resta
'I've
heard it's excellent.'
'you'll
'Mind
you,' she went on,
have to reserve atable.'
'And
you'd better put on a tie,' she said, eyeing me disapprovingly.
'Yes,'
'go
said my wife,
upstairs and change into something decent.'
'You're
not to come out with me looking like that,' she said.
'If
I were you,' said our neighbour, 'I'd telephone the restaurant first.l
'Hurry
up,' said my wife, 'whichever you do first.'
I suddenly felt a great need for peace and quiet. 'Look,'I said, 'why d
you two go out instead of me?'
SPEECH
I2C
you've been to Japan, you'll know that they drive on the left there too.
20 If
I'd like your country if I visited it?
2 l Do you think
Tell me the things I should make a point of seeing.
money so that I can visit you.
23 I must try and save some
correct some homework.
have
to
24 I must go no\ /, as I
tomorrow.
25 You mustn't forget that you have some homework to do for
1',
Exercise 2
Oral practice (general revision): Without using the book yourself, get
someone to say the following to you and then report, as if to a third
what you have heard, beginning ShelHe as shown below. Since the repo
is immediate, do not change the reference to time such as this morning
place, such as here (see f 2Ae).
Excuse me for being late this
morning; I was held up by the
traffic.
I'd have got here quicker if I'd
come on a bicycle.
I should leave early this evening if
I were you.
l
2
J
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
152
----------J
She asked me to excuse her for
being late this morning; sáe
she was held up by the traffic.
------J She said she'dhave got here
quicker if she'd come on a bi
----------J
She aduised me to leave early
evening.
Where do you come ťrom? Are you staying here long?
Is this the first time you've been here?
I've been living here for over a year and quite like the place.
But I'd rather live in London. Wouldn't vou?
You must find this place rather dull compared with your home town.
What can we do this evening if we decide to go out?
We could go to the cinema if there are any good films on.
How about going to a concert? Do you like music?
You needn't decide now; you can let me know later.
Shall I come round to your house or wait for you here?
Will you be ready if I call for you at six o'clock?
Don't forget to bring an umbrella, as it may rain.
I wish my car \ /as in order, so I could have given you a lift.
It's being repaired, and $/on't be ready until the end of the \ /eek.
I wish I knew more about cars than I do.
I could save a lot of money if I was able to do the maintenance myself'
I had to come here by bus tJris morning, as I'm without my car.
Did you walk or drive to work this morning?
You mustn't drive on the right here whatever you do.
153